K-pop is one of the significant topics of Korean culture. In this K-pop industry where still is a prevalence of gender binary, we had an interview with a rising queer K-pop idol group QI.X. Please welcome Prin, jiGook, Maek and Sen from QI.X who shows us a new stage and music that doesn’t harm anyone.
English Translation: 지니
Translation review: 피웊, Juyeon
Writer of the original text: Miguel
Review and amendments to the original text: -
QI.X
We are QI.X! Hi, we are a queer idol QI.X. We aim to break away from the gender binary of the K-pop industry, and boundary of the K-pop’s music genres. From the word QI.X, QI refers to ‘Queer idol’ and X refers to ‘an infinite possibility that is not defined’.
Prin
I am the leader Prin. Still learning dancing and composition, and good at everything when it comes to K-pop-related categories.
jiGook
I am jiGook from QI.X. On top of my main position, which is a singer-songwriter, I do various things such as drag, taking photos, writing, and freestyle dancing.
Maek
I am Maek who is in charge of shouting high notes. Other than working as a member of QI.X, I also work for a civil society organization as an activist.
Sen
I am Sen, a new member of QI.X. I’m a dancer and choreographer.
*Member Youra is on a break at this moment.
Q.
Shall we talk about your identity first?
Maek
I am genderqueer. Actually, I’m still figuring it out. I haven’t found a word to express my identity, so I call myself You-kyo(Confucian) sexual. I just made up the word, thinking about all the times I get stressed when other members talk about twerking and stuff. I am a little conservative.
Prin
I can tell that I am not cisgender. For now, I introduce myself transgender queer nonbinary. I’m still on a search for myself, and it’s not ending any time soon. It seems fluid.
jiGook
I am genderfluid-nonbinary transgender male genderqueer neutrois, sometimes I’m agender/genderless. I could be panromantic pansexual and belong to the asexual umbrella at the same time, and I’m also quoiromantic and graysexual. My goal is to get as many as labels I can get to eliminate the boundaries of the label.
Sen
I haven’t labeled myself. I acknowledge that I am queer, and embrace it, but I prefer not to label myself, but to live freely. I don’t want to be defined by any specific term, but I believe that being part of the LGBTQ is satisfying enough for solidarity.
"If we call our music K-pop, I believe it would be."
Q.
Queer K-pop idol groups are not common. I wonder what brought you to be idols.
Prin
It was my vague dream to be a K-pop idol since I was much younger. The idol group that I liked had a distinct concept that made the stage as if it were a musical. Then people would say that their concept is too much, and there is when I Sensed the queerness in them. However, as someone who passes as a woman, I thought I couldn't pursue what I wanted because I would have to adhere to the expectations of being a female idol. However, at the QT song camp, I thought maybe I could pursue my dream when producer Jiyeon announced that she would produce a queer idol group.
Maek
I had a long-standing desire to become a singer for a long time. My major was musical, an industry that still clings to normality such as masculinity and femininity. My dream was to succeed and bring about change within the industry. However, as I imagined going through all the fights and surviving, I realized that I would be the same person as they are, which made me question if I could truly make it in the industry.
Then, Prin asked me, ‘Would thee liketh to debut as an idol?’, and I said yes. Even though it didn’t have a clear outline, Prin assured me that it would be something non-binary.
jiGook
I had dreamed of becoming an idol for a long time until my beloved idol disappointed me with various criminal activities. I completely turned away from the idol industry. During my college years as a music major, I became a member of a team where all the members were non-cisgender queers, thanks to producer Jiyeon’s suggestion. It hasn't been easy to find an environment where I can respect multiple identities and pursue my activities, so I continue to work with gratitude.
Sen
Working as a dancer, I experienced both the bright and dark sides. Queerness is stigmatized the most in sort of idol-like industry, which leads us to directly show it right in front of them. The combination of the most common and the most hidden things together excites me.
Click the link to catch up on QI.X’s digital singles Lights Up and Walk and Shine.
Q.
Your debut single Lights Up was released on the 22nd of May, and recently Walk and Shine has been newly released. Could you introduce us the song?
Prin
In this society, the differences are sometimes considered incorrect, which makes us hide our own lights to live on. Light up carries a message that when we encounter each other in such radiant ways, we can continue moving forward together without losing this light.
After finding each other in the song Light Up, we shine the light in the song Walk and Shine. I wrote the song with the vision of shining ourselves in a dazzling place. The song conveys the message that even if the world hates us and pressures us to conform, we will radiate brightly with our own light and move forward.
Q.
The highlight of K-pop culture would be fan culture. Even before the debut, QI.X have been loved by the fandom QTZ, especially fans from abroad. Where do you believe your popularity comes from?
jiGook
Our decision to be courageous seems to touch many people’s hearts. The important thing is that we are all similar, not that different. It seems that what resonates the most is our continuous effort to visualize and emphasize this… Oh, another reason can be… just because we are cute 😊
Sen
Being like them also seems to attract them. We can truly share certain feelings with queer fans, which I consider is our own charming point.
jiGook
Some comments ask us “So pretty! Would it be okay to say this though?”. We have also seen comments like “Do you prefer to hear you are cool?” or “Which one do you prefer among hyung, nuna or oppa?”. I think we understand each other because we’ve all been through a lot.
Maek
You would look for someone who looks like you when watching media content. However, for queer, for our fans, there has not been any queer among K-pop singers even though the industry is going abroad and has fans from all over the world. Now that we showed up, they’re like, “Finally found my idol”, ‘They are right here on the phone!’. I assume they would feel relieved for seeing someone who represents them.
"The combination of the most common and the most hidden things together excites me."
Q.
Once you stand for a queer idol, you would break away from so much formula that is required of common idols. People have said that “You can be a K-pop idol only if you belong to the formula. What makes you K-pop idols in your opinion?
Maek
The K-pop genre is a mix-up of many, and K-pop music is used to flip the existence of traditional ones. This means that if we call our music K-pop, I believe it would be. Idols are just like that. The ones that give me power and that make me ‘keep alive’.
jiGook
I have been a fan of the first, 1.5 gen, and second-generation idols. Back then, their imperfection and humanity were key points that made an idol an idol. The literal definition of an idol is an ideal figure, which is different from these day’s violent definitions such as “They need to be perfect to be my ideal figure!”. It is not what I want to be. I hope people could get musical energy, and energy that is necessary to live their own life.
When asked about their role model, QI.X answered, “We can be the role model for other people!” jiGook also showed us their determination to pave a new way. “It would be the best if we could embrace everything, and I hope we could guarantee our fans their safety.”
Prin
We, QI.X would like to perform with songs from many different types of genres. Since we are kind of activists, we would love to perform in many places that treat various topics other than queer-related agenda. We are waiting for your call!
We also perform for the Seoul Queer Culture Festival this year. Spoiler alert: Light Up is supposed to be performed standing still, but it will be changed. Please look forward to our performance. The song Walk and Shine, we could show its potential with many people watching our show. I believe that everyone would get enough energy to live their own daily life. Hope you come and enjoy!
QI.X’s Stage on the QLX 2022 Trans Day of Remembrance
Learn more about QI.X from here!
English Translation: 지니
Translation review: 피웊, Juyeon
Writer of the original text: Miguel
Review and amendments to the original text: -